Tourist Information

People, Culture & Language:

Majority of the people of Pakistan are mostly Muslims and there is cultural harmony among the people and with non Muslims include the Christians, Buddhist, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees. Urdu is the national language, while English is spoken frequently in Pakistan. English language is extensively used in official and business circle in the cities. The provincial languages are spoken Punjabi in Punjab Province, Pushto in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Province, Sindhi in Sindh Province, Balochi in Balochistan Province, and there are also regional languages spoken Saraiki in south Punjab & KPK, Hindko in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Hazara & some parts of Kashmir, Kashmiri is spoken in Azad Kashmir & northern region of Punjab, Potohari is spoken in Potohar region of Punjab, Shina, Balti, Brushaski & Wakhi is spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan.

HOW TO COME & TRAVEL IN PAKISTAN

By Air Traveling:

Many airlines operate flights to Pakistan from more than 40 countries. Most of the flights arrive at Jinnah International Terminal Karachi, but Pakistan International Airlines operate domestic flights as well as international flights to many countries. Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Thai Airways, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Air, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Air Lanka, Saudi Airlines and China Southern Airlines fly directly to Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad. PIA, Indian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Thai Airways fly direct to Lahore. Pakistan International has direct flights from the main Mediterranean and European cities, as well as from New York, Toronto and Nairobi. It also runs a Far East Network from Tokyo, Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. PIA has also flights to Kabul, Tashkent and Almaty from Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi while other private Pakistani Airlines, Air blue, Shaheen Air International operate flights on weekly basis from Karachi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain, Doha, Kuwait & Tehran.

By Land Traveling:

From/To China

The Khunjerab Pass is the ground entry point between China & Pakistan, which is open from 1st May to 31st October for all tourist groups and to 15th November for individual tourists. Customs Immigration opens daily from 08:30am to 11:00am for outgoing travelers and up to 04:00pm (Pakistan Standard Time) for incoming tourists. Travel time from Sost to Tashkurgan (China) is 05 hours. The Chinese border post, Tashkurgan is open 12:00 noon to 14:00hrs (Beijing Time) for outgoing tourists and up to 19:00hrs for incoming travelers. Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation & Northern Areas Transport Corporation runs daily buses, vans and Land Cruisers from Sost to Tashkurgan (China).

From/To India:

Wagha is the only land border open between Pakistan and India (Lahore-Amritsar). The Wagha border post is open daily for foreigners, in summer (April to October) 08:30am to 02:30pm and in winter (October to April)09:00am to 03:00pm Pakistan Standard Time. Lahore-Delhi Samjhota Express Train service has been started on Tuesday and Friday, but now it has been suspended. Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and Delhi Transport Corporation have started a luxury direct bus service between Lahore and Delhi. The air conditioned bus service leaves simultaneously from Flatties Hotel, Lahore and New Delhi on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

From/To Iran:

Pakistan-Iran Taftan border journey is only possible through Taftan-Zahidan. A number of buses and coaches every day leave from Taftan to Quetta (634 kms and 18 hours drive). Train service is also available for the sector Quetta-Zahidan-Quetta.

PIA operates daily scheduled direct and connecting flights between major cities from Karachi, Quetta, Multan, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Sukkur, Mohenjo-Daro, D.I.Khan, D.G.Khan, Sialkot, Gwadar, Pasni and Turbat. Two private airlines, Air blue and Shaheen Air International also serve Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad as well as for Gulf Countries. PIA has daily subject to weather flights connecting the northern tourist towns of Gilgit, Skardu and Chitral with Islamabad.

By Road Traveling:

Pakistan has a wide network of roads, highways and motorways linking every big and small cities & municipalities. There are number of highways as listed below.

The Grand Trunk road (G.T. Road) between Lahore and Peshawar.

Super Highway and National Highway connecting Karachi with Interior Sindh and Punjab.

An attraction has been achieved with the completion of Peshawar-Islamabad (M1), Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2), and Faislabad-Pindi Bhatian Motorway (M3), which has been opened for some of areas of Pakistan for visitors.

By Train Traveling:

Pakistan has more than 12700 kms of railways network, including 8500 kms inherited after partition. Main line runs from Karachi to Peshawar connecting key tourist attractions, i.e. Mohenjo-daro, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Taxila and Peshawar. One more main Railway line linking Quetta with rest of the country. There are number of daily trains running on these lines, however, the faster trains like Shalimar Express (Lahore-Karachi) and Rail Car (Lahore-Rawalpindi) has more relaxed air-conditioned sections for travelers.

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) also operates 2 hotels (Flatties Hotel Lahore & Flashman Hotel Rawalpindi) and 29 Motels in multiple cities and Valleys are located all over Pakistan.

Pakistan Youth Hostels Association (PYHA) was founded in 1951 which now runs a chain of Youth Hostels are available to the members of the organization. More details regarding reservation can be obtained from PYHA Head office at Garden Road, G-6/4, near Aabpara, Islamabad.

There are officially Guest Houses/Bungalows and Rest Houses at most of the stations and valleys, maintained by either Provincial Forest Department, Public Works Department (PWD) or by the local administration. All the above listed accommodation facilities are available subject to advance confirmed booking.

SHOPPING:

Pakistan is rich in exquisite handicrafts, made by people, who produce by weaving, by making designs on pots, by working on metals, wood and stone, by decorating, to build things small and large. Stoneware or pottery here is a living history in Pakistan, a traditional expertise that became an art, with its beginning going back to 3000 years B.C. Now a day, each area of Pakistan maintains its own unique jars and jugs, from sturdy terra – cotta to paper thin ceramics, in vibrant colors of mustard yellow, deep green, brick red and sky blue. For those keen on shopping on reasonable price, returning home with hand woven carpets, marble pieces, copper and brass items, woodwork, embroidered (Kurtas) & (Khussas) and many more.

FOOD:

The inherited cooking traditions of the Moghuls, the Turks, the Central Asians and the Iranian, eating out in Pakistan is a rich & only one of its kind experience. Most local restaurants serve genuine Pakistan dishes directly from the oven, with the sights and sounds of a bazaar in the background. Meat, fish and vegetable dishes are seasoned with spices. Particularly palatable are the grills B.B.Q; Seekh-Kabab (pulverized meat grilled on skewer), Shaami-Kabab (pulverized meat), Tikka (barbecued mutton, beef or chicken) and Saji (Barbecued leg of lamb). Pakistani mutton and chicken curries and the oriental rice dish called pullao, are also popular with inhabitants and foreigners alike.

CLOTHING:

Light weight, cotton clothes enough except for in north in winter. Men can wear suits for business meetings, social events. Casual shalwar suits are worn by all women and most men in public. Women should dress modestly.

SIGHTSEEING:

Pakistanis a special tourist destination in South Asia. The four seasons (spring, summer, autumn & winter) have its own charm. Its main attractions include adventure & cultural tourism in the Gilgit/Baltistan, cultural and archeological sights are found in Taxila, Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Takht-e-Bhai, Swat and early Muslim & Mughal Heritage of Multan,Lahore, Thatta and Peshawar. From the mighty Karakuram, Himalaya & Hindukush in the North to the gigantic alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South, Pakistan remains a land of high adventure & nature. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, Camel and Yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching, are a few activities which attracts adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan.